Panel interviews are usually conducted when an employer is hiring a manager or supervisor, as the approach allows numerous company employees to participate in the process. A panel interview involves several different people asking questions and even playing off of the questions of their colleagues. While this approach can be intimidating, it’s also a great opportunity to impress all of an organization’s decision-makers simultaneously.

Know the Company

The people interviewing you are likely long-term and established company employees. The questions they ask you will be designed to assess how you would fit in with the corporate dynamic and mesh with their existing management style. The more you know about the company, its structure, departments and executives, the smoother the panel interview will go. Read through the corporate website in advance, and pay particular attention to executive profiles. This will help you put names and faces together during the interview.

Arrive Prepared

Find out in advance how many people will be participating in the panel interview. Bring enough copies of your resume and work samples to ensure that each interviewer has the materials. Have responses prepared to answer both typical interview questions related to your education and your work history. Also be prepared to address hypothetical scenarios that relate to your field and the type of responsibilities you are likely to be encounter in a supervisory capacity.

Formulate Questions

The panel interview should be more than a question-and-answer session with interviewers posing all the questions and you responding. You should be prepared to ask intelligent questions regarding the workplace dynamic, long-term corporate goals and objectives and about specific expectations from your supervisory position. Use caution, however, to avoid questions that could be answered with a quick glance at the company website, like, “What kinds of products do you manufacture?” This will demonstrate a lack of in-depth knowledge about the company.

Address Interviewers Individually

Make note of individual interviewer's names and titles at the start of the interview, and directly address the person who asks you a question while making brief eye contact with other interviewers to draw them in to your response. Just as panelists may build on each other’s comments and questions, you should feel free to do the same. For example, “Well Sally, as Bob referenced a few minutes ago, a good relationship with human resources is vital to building a competent workforce, and to answer your question, yes, I would most definitely work in collaboration with HR to promote ongoing professional development opportunities for my staffers.”

About the Author

Lisa McQuerrey has been a business writer since 1987. In 1994, she launched a full-service marketing and communications firm. McQuerrey's work has garnered awards from the U.S. Small Business Administration, the International Association of Business Communicators and the Associated Press. She is also the author of several nonfiction trade publications, and, in 2012, had her first young-adult novel published by Glass Page Books.